Surveillance video shows two black-clad people rushing into the room and using what looks to be a hatchet or small axe to smash the glass displays, viciously forcing their way into the finely crafted cases. The scene takes place in darkness, with the room's ornate walls and polished checkerboard floor illuminated only by the infiltrators' flashlights.
Unser scheeener Schadddzzz. #Dresden #GrünesGewölbe Quelle: @MDR_SN pic.twitter.com/lBw9Nx5pLI
— Bananenflanke (@dirk_adam) November 25, 2019
Reports indicated that the burglars shut off the power supply to the museum before breaking in. A fire has also been reported on a bridge near the museum that is believed to have caused the power failure.
The Green Vault is a historic museum in Dresden dating back to 1723. It exhibits a vast collection of precious stones from the Baroque to the Classical eras. The collection, located in a former royal palace, was founded in the 18th century by August the Strong, Elector of Saxony and later King of Poland, to display objects from the treasury. Experts said that the thieves went away with $1.1 billion worth of “priceless” ensembles of early 18th-century jewellery.